Konami is a popular Tokyo-based maker of video games, toys and trading cards, founded in 1969 as a jukebox rental and repair business in Osaka, Japan. Konami was one of the leading third-party developers during the NES era, with such best-selling games as ''Gradius'', ''Contra'' and ''Metal Gear''. It is currently the fourth-largest game company in Japan, behind Creator/{{Nintendo}}, Sega Sammy and NamcoBandai.

Due to Nintendo's restrictions on third-party licensing during that era, Konami could release only five games per year for the NES. Konami found a way around this by creating a quasi-independent subsidiary known as "Ultra Games", which published the first ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' game, ''Skate or Die'', ''[[VideoGame/MetalGear1 Metal Gear]]'', and an expanded version of ''VideoGame/{{Gyruss}}'', among others. (They made a similar move in Europe with Palcom Software Ltd.) After Nintendo relaxed its standards, Konami closed Ultra in 1992 and absorbed its remaining employees into its American branch. Some of the other Konami staff left that same year to create Creator/{{Treasure}} Co. Ltd. Konami also owned a majority stake in HudsonSoft until making it a wholly owned subsidiary.

In the mid-80s, Konami became famous by one of their {{Classic Cheat Code}}s, dubbed the "KonamiCode". First appearing to US players in the 1986 NES port of ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}}'' and made popular in the 1988 NES port of ''VideoGame/{{Contra}}'', it provided the players of the notoriously-diffiicult game with 30 lives, rather than the original 3. Due to the game's popularity, the Konami Code now enjoys a pop-culture status on par with the famous 'XYZZY' keyword from ''Colossal Cave Adventure'' -- mention the 'Konami Code', and it's a sure bet than any console gamer worth his eyeteeth will know ''exactly'' which code you mean.

* ''Anime/BestStudentCouncil'' (Co-Production with Media Works and Creator/JCStaff)* ''FairyMusketeers'' (Co-Production with Creator/{{Madhouse}})* ''Anime/PenguinMemories'' (Sponsored by Suntory, Animation leading outsourced to Creator/KKCAndDAsia [[note]] who is under the name of ''Animation Staff Room'' due to contract issues with Dic at the time of it's production [[/note]]; [[http://www.pelleas.net/aniTOP/index.php/penguin-s-memory With]] Creator/StudioJunio)* ''Anime/SaintOctober'' (Co-Prodection with [[Creator/AnimalYa Studio Comet]])* ''Anime/{{Salamander}}'' (3 [=OVAs=]; Based on the game of the same name, Animation leading outsourced to Creator/StudioPierrot)* ''SkyGirls'' (Co-Production with Creator/JCStaff)* ''VideoGame/{{Twinbee}} Paradise'' (Outsourced to Creator/{{AIC}})** ''[=TwinBee and WinBee's 1/8 Panic=]'' (Was made before the Twinbee Paradise [=OVAs=] were made; Animating leading outsourced to AIC; With Creator/SpectrumAnimation and Creator/DRMovie)** ''[=Twinbee: The Tulip Coast Story=]'' (Was made shortly before the Twinbee Paradise [=OVAs=] were made; Animating leading outsourced to AIC; With Creator/DRMovie)* ''VisualNovel/TokimekiMemorial ~ Only Love'' (Outsourced to [=AIC A.S.T.A=])

!!Names associated with Konami:* Koji Igarashi (co-designer of ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight Castlevania: Symphony of the Night]]'' and current producer of the ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' series since 2001's ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaChronicles'', as well as ''VisualNovel/TokimekiMemorial 1'''s scenario writer, and programmer of the PC-Engine ports of ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}} II'' and ''[[VideoGame/{{Twinbee}} Detana!! Twinbee]]'')** Ayami Kojima (artist of various ''Castlevania'' artwork, though she's done some non-''Castlevania'' stuff as well. No relation to...)* Creator/HideoKojima (lead designer for the ''Franchise/MetalGear'' series, as well as ''VisualNovel/{{Snatcher}}'' and ''VisualNovel/{{Policenauts}}''. Also the producer of the ''VideoGame/ZoneOfTheEnders'' series and the ''VideoGame/{{Boktai}}'' series, and the drama director of ''VisualNovel/TokimekiMemorial Drama Series 1 : Nijiiro no Seishun'')* Yoshiki Okamoto (designer of the classic arcade games ''TimePilot'' and ''VideoGame/{{Gyruss}}'', before his firing; he would later join {{Capcom}})* Naoki Maeda (sound director for the ''VideoGame/DanceDanceRevolution'' series and the producer of a majority of Konami original songs that debuted in DDR)** Takayuki Ishikawa (aka dj Taka; he is to ''BeatmaniaIIDX'' as Naoki is to DDR)* Mikio Saito (aka Metal Yuhki ; composer of ''[[VideoGame/CastlevaniaRondoOfBlood Castlevania: Rondo of Blood]]'', and composer and music producer of the ''VisualNovel/TokimekiMemorial'' series)* Shingo Takatsuka (nickname "Seabass"; head designer and producer for the ''Pro Evolution Soccer'' series)* MichiruYamane (composer for many ''Castlevania'' soundtracks)* Music/AkiraYamaoka (the father of ''Franchise/SilentHill'')----!!Tropes associated with Konami:* TheCameo: Pretty much in all of the games that are created by the company there is a Moai head. * ClassicCheatCode: [[CaptainObvious Guess]].* EasterEgg: A lot of Konami's games have these, usually referencing a different game.* EenieMeenieMinyMoai* EverythingsBetterWithPenguins: Pentarou, their mascot in the 80s and 90s.* GoroawaseNumber: The number 573 appears in many of Konami's games in some way.* IconicLogo: Well, at least the logo on the page image.* '''KonamiCode'''* LogoJoke[=/=]ShoutOut: The Infinity Pro Sports logo looks like the old Konami logo.* StockSoundEffects: Konami's pause jingle that plays in most of the company's 8- and 16-bit games.